Hatrack River Forum: Entering a Contest That Doesn't Exist

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Posted by Demonstrocity (Member # 9579) on :

My inbox today had an e-mail from someone asking how to enter our contest for a free gumball machine.

Confused, I asked them to clarify, as we are not currently running a contest.

They linked me to a very old page from our site that is no longer accessible from anywhere on the site, but my lazy predecessor apparently didn't take the time to delete the page itself. The customer must have found it via search engine.

My response:

quote:
We apologize for the confusion, but it appears you have found an out of date page on our site, as we no longer have a contest to win a free gumball machine. Please feel free to reply to this e-mail with any further questions!

Best Regards,

Andrew
-------------
Customer Service Department
Phone, Fax, Etc.

I thought that'd put an end to it, but he replied:

quote:
Andrew,
Thanks - I understand now, but find it hard to believe Gumballs.com would still be advertising a contest if it's not going on, that just wouldn't be good business.

So, how can I get entered?

regards

This kind of thing merits only one response:

quote:
As I explained previously, that page is no longer linked to or advertised about anywhere on our website as it is several years old. I am one hundred percent positive that there is no contest currently running. However, that page you linked says the following about entering:

"Enter to win by adding your email address to our mailing list (see the entry box below, underneath the picture). We randomly select an email address from this list each month and notify the winner by email."

If you'd like, you can go ahead and enter your e-mail address to the mailing list. Please note your odds of winning are fairly low, as the contest no longer exists.

Best Regards,
Andrew
-------------
Customer Service Department
Phone, Fax, Etc.

I need to find a job where I don't have to deal with, uh, people - I hear Google's hiring hermits!

Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :

[ROFL]

That is just spectacular.

-pH

Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :

That's pretty funny.

(btw, are you Landmark dodging or is this officially your new name?)

Posted by Demonstrocity (Member # 9579) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Dr Strangelove:
That's pretty funny.

(btw, are you Landmark dodging or is this officially your new name?)

Landmark dodging, hard.

Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :

The best phrase ever is "I understand now, but..."

Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :

So where's my damn GUMBALL MACHINE?!? False advertising! False advertising!!! Attorney! Attorney!!!

Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :

I want to sign up for the contest, can you send me a link!!

Posted by John Van Pelt (Member # 5767) on :

"The contest is just on hiatus. Be patient."

"Hiatus!! I LOVED that show!"

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Demonstrocity:

quote:
Andrew,
Thanks - I understand now, but find it hard to believe Gumballs.com would still be advertising a contest if it's not going on, that just wouldn't be good business.

So, how can I get entered?

regards

I find it hard to believe that there's a Gumballs.com and that people actually go there to find out about gumball-related contests.

Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jon Boy:

quote:
Originally posted by Demonstrocity:

quote:
Andrew,
Thanks - I understand now, but find it hard to believe Gumballs.com would still be advertising a contest if it's not going on, that just wouldn't be good business.

So, how can I get entered?

regards
I find it hard to believe that there's a Gumballs.com and that people actually go there to find out about gumball-related contests.

What, do you expect it to be a porn site or something?

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

It's real, but I saw nothing there about any contests.

Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :

I'm intrigued by this "best darn coffee cake recipe on Earth."

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

If you are bugged by him again, you could refer him to the contest on antiquegumball.com, to win an antique gumball vending machine.

Posted by GeronL (Member # 9674) on :

quote:
I need to find a job where I don't have to deal with, uh, people - I hear Google's hiring hermits! [/QB]

Hermits did not interact with people but they did have to amuse them when they came around. Don't you watch that show on the History Channel hosted by the guy who played Baldrick?

If it came with internet access it might be doable these days.

Posted by citadel (Member # 8367) on :

I think you're going to find lame/stupid/idiotic (choose your own adjective here) wherever you choose to work. I work for a software company and we have to deal really dumb customers everyday. (I might add that it doesn't help that we target that demographic.)

Your story about the gumball machine contest reminded me of a funny story about Hotel Soap.

Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :

Can you sign me up for the contest too?

Thanks!

Posted by Demonstrocity (Member # 9579) on :

quote:
Originally posted by citadel:
I think you're going to find lame/stupid/idiotic (choose your own adjective here) wherever you choose to work. I work for a software company and we have to deal really dumb customers everyday. (I might add that it doesn't help that we target that demographic.)

Your story about the gumball machine contest reminded me of a funny story about Hotel Soap.

Oh, I know. I just thought this particular story was amusing - much more amusing than the other stories I get every day, where customers lie about their popcorn machines exploding and taking out chunks of the walls of their homes, just so I'll send them new ones. Or stories about customers who claim they choked on a jawbreaker we sold, and we therefore owe them at LEAST the amount of the hospital bills, because they have no medical insurance. Or customers who insist that they've never used a gumball machine and then attempt to return it to us (which is against our return policy), forcing me to spend hours every day for weeks combatting an unjust chargeback from their AmEx.

I've worked in nothing but customer service (-related) jobs my entire life. I think I'm just getting worn down; it's been a long week.

Posted by vwiggin (Member # 926) on :

I think this is probably how they found it.

The free.html page is still in Google cache, btw. [Wink]

Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :

Now I really want to know if he signed up!

Posted by GeronL (Member # 9674) on :

"where customers lie about their popcorn machines exploding and taking out chunks of the walls of their homes"<P>...<P>
Military grade popcorn machines. Cool. =o)

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Demonstrocity:
I just thought this particular story was amusing.

Oh, it was. [Smile]

And unlike the Hotel Soap story, it's even true! [Big Grin]